


case17 Baker Kidnapper

by SeptuVariest



Category: Princess Principal (Anime), Princess Principal: Game of Mission (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Feeding, Fluff, Healing, Multi, Pining, Short Stories, Stuffing, Tags to be added, oh boy lots of that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-02-05 15:26:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12797277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeptuVariest/pseuds/SeptuVariest
Summary: After taking a detour during a mission, Ange has to deal with the consequences.





	1. A Fluffy Interrogation

The formal event known as 'Lunch' at Queen's Mayfaire Academy, had taken quite for Ange in the recent days.

Here you go, Ange..."

Formerly the perfect guise for a team meeting, it had turned into quite a particular ordeal.

"Ange, don't you want it?"

She now found herself constantly pulled between the two people who could disarm her lies. On one side, the elusive Princess Charlotte, who seemed to know everything about her and more. On the other, though, a new face waited for her.

"I made it just for you, Ange..."

Dull green eyes, and pale, creamy blue hair. Comfortably fitted into her uniform, and gazing dreamily at Ange, she was offering her her third slice of cake, passing it across the table on a set of china she saved only for her.

"Please, Nikki..." Shying away from her, and instinctively towards Charlotte, Ange held a hand over her stomach. "I'm already full..." Taking a wary eyeful of the jam-filled sponge cake Nikki was pushing towards her, Ange held back the desire to lick her lips.

From across the table, Dorothy spoke up. Having only been allowed to take her own slice after Ange had finished her first, she was now digging in with a contented look on her face. "If you don't want it, Ange, I'll happily take it." Beatrice and Chise were also enjoying theirs, sharing approving looks between themselves.

Nikki shot Dorothy an accusing glance. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, Miss Dorothy, but this one is specially for Ange." Her eyes lit up as she turned back to Ange, shuffling her seat close enough to feed Ange the cake herself. Dorothy continued to watch the back-and-forth, entertained.

Almost backed up into Charlotte, Ange kept protesting. "I'm fine, Nikki. I- I had a big breakfast."

Nikki scowled, and almost pounced on Ange, her fork already mounted with thick yellow sponge. "You might be a compulsive liar, Ange, but I didn't think you'd be so rude!" Pouting, she found Ange had nowhere left to move, and went in for the kill. "You and Dorothy are always skipping breakfast. You have your own spy breakfasts, and you never invite me..."

Ange gawked to refute her claim, but couldn't make any words out before the all-too-familiar texture of sponge cake filled her mouth. She watched Nikki's face light up. Nikki went by the moniker of 'genius chef', and that was by no means a lie. Everything she created was practically blessed to be delicious, and this case was no different. So light Ange could barely feel it on her tongue, but so sweet that the taste filled her whole mouth, she couldn't help but feel a rush up her spine as she swallowed it.  
"Now, Nikki, that's a bit dangerous, don't you think?" From behind Ange, Charlotte interjected, wiping a smirk from her face. "You can't just stuff it into her mouth."

Her mouth still full, Ange turned and nodded. "Mmph!" It sounded like an agreement.

"You should leave it to me, instead." Charlotte's grin returned, and Nikki happily passed her the plate and fork.

"Mmph!" It didn't sound like an agreement.

Charlotte gave Ange her most amicable smile, scooping up another part of the cake. "Come on, Ange, you'll let me feed you, right?"

Ange surrendered, happy, at least, that it was Charlotte, and not Nikki. The chef still watched on from the sidelines, basking in Ange's silent praise.

Sandwiched between two girls who wanted nothing more than to pamper her, Ange's lunchtimes had become something wildly out of her control.

Of course, it hadn't always been this way. Nikki had only shown up recently.

Ange thought back to their first meeting, swallowing another portion of sponge as Charlotte smiled on.

That disastrous night.


	2. A Week Prior

"New orders?" Welcoming Dorothy back to the clubroom, Ange spied a crisp letter in her hand.

"Yeah, but it's nothing pretty." Following Ange into the room, she met with the rest of Team White Pigeon, who had been hastily assembled a few minutes earlier. "Barely even a job for two."  
A sigh crossed the room, a mixture of relief and dissapointment.

Creasing the letter out between her hands, Dorothy began to read. "We've been informed by an... anonymous source...?" Dorothy's face furrowed; Control rarely withheld that much information from them. Regardless, she continued. "...That a prolific cipher cracker for the Kingdom has recently been living in the mansion of Count Casisle. Control has been trying to pin him down for years, but thanks to his suspicious tendencies, he moves about the country feverishly, and we haven't yet been able to pin him down. We're to infilatrate the mansion and destroy his notes."

Ange didn't sound impressed. "How do we know this isn't a trap?" Walking up and taking the letter from Dorothy's hand, she read through it herself. "If it's just petty theft, I can do it alone."

"Apparently this 'anonymous source' has been feeding Control information for months, and this'll be the first time they actually take it's word." Dorothy cast her eyes over the rest of the team. "And you won't be going alone. Chise will be going with you."

This earnt a brisk head-turn from Ange and Chise.

"Isn't this mission supposed to be stealthy?" Ange muttered. "Not that I doubt her abilities, it's just..." Not wanting to offend Chise any more than she already had, Ange trailed off.

"I'm sure you'll find, Ange, if you read the letter." Strutting over to her and jamming the bottom of the paper, Dorothy gave Ange a dissaproving glance. "That this is Control's idea, not mine. You see? ' _Agents A and C are to take part in this mission. The reason why will become apparent._ '"

Chise, eager to have a part in any mission, also appeared next to Ange, and tried to read the letter herself. "Well, I hope that we'll be able to cover each other's backs, again, Ange." Reminiscing to their meeting on the runaway train a month ago, she had a dreamy look on her face. "And I'm sure I'll be able to be as stealthy as you need me to." Unfortunately, Chise barely sounded like she even knew what that meant. She made a mental note to skim through a dictionary for it when she got a chance.

"Well, if that's that sorted, then you best set out soon." Clapping the two on the back, Dorothy gave them both a grin. "It's a long drive, so we ought to leave before the sun sets."  
"Understood." Handing the letter back to Dorothy, Ange breifly nodded to the other two, and brushed out of the room silently.

Chise, trying to emulate Ange's 'stealthy' demeanour, slinked out as well. "Thank you for this opportunity, Dorothy." Almost forgetting, she stopped at the door and bowed, then was on her way again.  
"I'm starting to have second thoughts about this one..." Dorothy sighed and turned to the others, Charlotte and Beatrice, who had managed to be silent through the whole thing. "Perhaps I should switch out with Chise..."

"You don't need to worry about her, Dorothy." Charlotte broke off from her idle chatter with Beatrice. "I've seen our Chise when she's trying her hardest. I'm sure she won't let us down."  
"I don't think it's her I'm worrying about, Princess." Dorothy managed a grin, copying Charlotte's own frozen smile. "Ange's always so confident. I'm sure she'll end up trying to do something herself and ruining everything."

Charlotte couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, she is the best for a reason."

"Let's hope so." Shrugging, Dorothy followed Ange and Chise out of the room, and off to her own dorm to get ready.

 

Now all decked out in their spy gear, and armed to the teeth, the trio sped through the night. Even in the height of summer, the nights managed to be brisk and cold, but tonight the familiar muggy, cloying atmosphere of the season prevailed through it. Dorothy, at least, seemed to be enjoying it. A chance to let her hair down and drive without fear of being chilled to the bone.

"No messing around in there, OK?" Calling back to the two like a doting mother, Dorothy tried to do her best as a team leader. "And Chise, keep your eyes open. I'm sure they brought you along for a good reason."

Dorothy received a reply from both of them - differently worded, and with different intents, but both equalling to 'I hope'.

The count's mansion began to rear up in the distance, and a series of metallic noises came from behind the car as Ange and Chise checked themselves over for the third time. A sword wasn't very hard to misplace, but Chise was doing her best to keep up with Ange and her obsessive checking and re-checking of her revolver and C-Ball.

"We'll be using the C-Ball to get in and out, correct?" Ange spoke up for the first time in a while.

"Well, you can hardly barge in through the front door."

"I'm sure we could." The pair's first agreement of the night, and it was to shut Dorothy down.

A moment passed. "Well, if we're really using the C-Ball, how do you suggest we get in?"

"Ah, you really skimmed that letter, didn't you?" Dorothy sighed, dissapointed in Ange's tendency to brush over mission briefs. "The kitchen window will be left open. First floor, at the back, facing the lake."

"I imagine the work of this 'anonymous source'?" Still distrusting of whoever they were, Ange's tone stayed cold and dismissive. "If I get there and find it closed, I'm coming right back."

"Just pray you don't find a gun sticking out of it." Dorothy swerved the car off the road as the mansion came up to meet them. Turning off onto a rough country road, she restrained herself and slowed the car down to keep the noise low. "If you get cold feet, come right back. I won't blame you, but perhaps Control will." Coming to a stop in a ditch-filled clearing, they piled out of the car.

"Chise, let's go." Checking her revolver and C-Ball one last time, Ange paced off into the darkness, and Chise briskly followed her. The two dissapeared, and then lit up the field with a piercing green light. Lifting up into the air, the two hesitantly began their first mission together.

Dorothy had no choice but to shuffle back into the car and sneak a bottle of brandy out of the glovebox. A glovebox would typically have been taken out of any normal get-away-vehicle, but this was one thing she had insisted on. Taking an already-drunken whiff of it, a smile managed to sneak across her face.


	3. A Week Prior, Pt. 2

Despite being called a 'mansion', the majority of Count Casisle's estate was an expansive garden. Encompassing countless flowerbeds, fountains and ponds, the colours were all died a thick grey by the dusk. Landing soft in a patch of grass, Ange and Chise wasted no time sprinting across the pathways and towards the house. A candle had been left lit in one of the windows, giving the two a beacon to aim for. Occasionally hiding the C-Ball partly under the cloak and activating it to light up their path, they daren't speak for fear of attracting guard dogs observers from inside the house.  
Across the garden, Ange could see the faint reflection of the moon in a lake. Mostly an inky black, she couldn't properly ascertain it's size, but knew that that was the direction they needed to head in. Motioning to Chise in the darkness after she was sure her eyes had adjusted, they changed their path.

After a few minutes, they had cut a clean motion through the garden and were now coming up to the side of the mansion. They found it was an odd mixture of the careful wooden sculpturing that had dominated the architecture of the previous century, interspersed between flanks of brick and cement. Chise seemed intriuged at it's mismatched structure, but it was obvious for Ange; they were close to The Wall here, and the mansion must have been partly burnt down in the war between the east and west, and then rebuilt with more modern materials after the wall was built. Usually, this kind of thinking would be pointless, but for this mission it particular it would find use. Ange decided to share her findings as they hunkered down against the far eastern wall, just a few metres from their opening.

"Chise." Keeping her voice down whilst they crept along, Ange didn't bother to look at her compatriot as she spoke. "You'll need to stick close to me. Half of this house is centuries old; the floorboards will be sure to creak." Strict and to the point, Ange didn't waste time explaining, sure it would go over Chise's head.

"Understood." Crouching under the open window, the two could feel the warmth from inside it. The oven might still be on.

Deciding that it wasn't a good idea to hesitate, Ange bolted up, pointing the C-Ball into the room and activating it. "Empty." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on." Pulling the window up the rest of the way, Ange crawled inside, still shaking in anticipation of a fight.

 

Coming out into what was clearly a kitchen, Ange was surprised to find the place full of food. The lights off, but the oven on, the room was dimly lit by it's light. Peering around, she found the counters covered in different confectionary. Cakes, slices, sweets and ice cream, all lined neatly up on the sides, eager to be eaten. That was, apart from the next to the window. A space had clearly been left for them to come in without knocking anything off the side. This mysterious presence was slowly making itself more and more known.

Regardless, Ange took her shoes off and clambered down onto the tiles, then beckoned for Chise to follow. Watching her nimbly bolt through the windowpane, Ange felt a jolt of unease as she pictured Chise knocking all the plates off the table as she came in. No such disaster came though, and they reunited inside the kitchen, sticking close to the floor.

Ange was about to speak, but was cut off by a series of voices. She choked on her words, fighting back her desire to escape. Chise looked just as unsettled, but as the voices panned out, it seemed they hadn't yet been found.

First, two male voices.

"Well, Artemis, you are enjoying yourself, I presume?" A deep voice, and one so full of cockiness that the smile could be seen from a mile away. "I find it's so good to get away from your work every once in a while."

"Of course, Mr. Casisle." The other was much younger, but with a similar timbre, and the lightest French accent. Occasionally stuttering, they had none of the confidence of the other. "However, I hardly think you can say that."

"A good point." The first voice came again, cutting through the other's musings. "Hosting people like you is practically my job, now." A breif laugh. "But when I was younger, I ended up quite the workaholic. Just thinking about it tires me out, now."

"I can imagine." They stopped to take a drink of something. " But people like me have to keep working. I imagine I'll be working all my life."

 

Sure they wouldn't be interrupted by the chatting two, Ange and Chise began to sneak their way out of the kitchen. As soon as they were outside, a new voice chimed in.

"Either way, Mr. Sansey, please try to relax while you're here." A clear and sharp female voice, full of the same forced happiness Ange always heard in Charlotte's voice. "Would you like me to bring something up to your room, later?" Her voice wavered back and forth, as if she was pacing around the room constantly. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Room 2-C, right?"

The second voice laughed uneasily. "2-E, actually. I'd rather keep the letter C as far away from myself as possible, Ms. Quinnell."

"2-E, is it? I'll be sure to bring it up soon." Her voice had a cool, apologetic nature to it. "But you needn't address me with so much respect, Mr. Sansey. Nikki would be fine. Or 'chef', even."  
"Ah, I'm sorry." The voice named 'Artemis' mumbled an apology.

The first voice grumbled. "Yes, please address our fine chef as Nikki." For a second, Ange felt a threat in the air.

"2-E, Ange..." Keeping her voice as low as possible, Chise broke Ange out of her listening. "We need to hurry, don't we?"

Ange snapped back into reality, nodding. "Let's go, then." Trying to note where room 2-E could be, she darted off, Chise eagerly following.

"Ah, but you should leave it outside, Ms. Nikki. I'm sure Oboro wouldn't like to be disturbed at this time of night. You know how Easterners are." Chise could only hear slight dregs of Artemis' last line, and she was sure Ange hadn't heard anything. 'Oboro'. Chise remembered what the letter had said. _the reason will become apparent_. If she wasn't wrong, Chise was sure the reason had just shown itself.

Chise was too busy following Ange's footsteps to warn her, though. She remembered what Ange had said before they entered the building, and now that they were inside, she could easily what Ange had meant. They passed plenty of sets of stairs, but Ange didn't bother climbing them. They all looked old, and not made of the shining, laminated wood of the paths they followed. She was beginning to believe they would have to use the C-Ball to get to the second layer. As soon as she thought this, though, Ange made a beeline for a certain set of stairs, and silently rushed up them. Chise followed, skipping each step that Ange did.

Reaching the landing, Chise was amazed to find they came out straight in front of room 2-E. Ange waited outside of it, giving her a look that shouted 'Quiet!'

"How did you..." Chise kept quiet, but couldn't hold back her questions.

"Luck. For once." Ange read Chise's mind and interrupted before she could make any more noise.

Chise pressed up against the other side of the door, watching for Ange' sign. Both drew their weapon. "In 3..."

They silently counted, Ange nodding her head in time.

2...

1...

Ange swung around, yanking the handle and breaching the room as quickly as possible.

Chise went to follow, but was held back. "Ange...!" Her words didn't have any effect, and she could almost see Ange move in slow-motion. Breaking out of her stupor, Chise lunged into the room, trying to get in front of her.

To Chise's relief, there was no-one inside. Ange scowled at her, trying to scold Chise for her outburst. Lowering her katana, Chise's body racked with relief.

"You shouldn't lower your sword just yet, Chise-dono." From behind her, an icy cold voice filled the room. It was just a whisper, but commanded the power of a howl. "Lord Horikawa warned me we might meet here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I like Oboro's design, she won't be in this fic too much. I just liked the idea of this confrontation, and how it could pan out.


	4. A Week Prior, Pt.3

Ange swung around, her gun still brandished. She was ready to fight, but wasn't expecting to be stopped by Chise. She found, before she could even get a good look at their attacker, Chise had held out her arm to stop her.

"Oboro." Chise's unusually chilly tone told Ange everything she needed to know, and backed off in response. "How long have you know we were coming?" For the sake of her own pride, Chise had to ask.

Oboro lowered her own sword and walked into the light. "I saw your partner's green orb as you were coming across the garden." Oboro's face was lean and mature, as opposed to Chise's far younger demeanour. "Lord Horikawa told me your troop had something like that in your possession, so you were safe, either way." Still speaking in a whisper, she paced over to the room's solitary bed, and sat down on it, crossing her legs. It was now apparent that she was wearing a set of loose-fitting western pyjamas. The style didn't particularly suit her, but wasn't paying it any mind.

"Who is this woman, Chise?" Ange began to idly search the room, glancing back to Oboro every so often.

Chise thought for a while, trying to correct all the relationships in her head. "If I had to say, she is my counterpart in the Kingdom. Collecting information for Lord Horikawa."

Oboro nodded. "I work as a spy for The Kingdom's network. I ought not to tell you anything more." As she spoke, she seemed to relax, her eyes becoming duller and posture weaker. "Horikawa, however, is my lord before anything else."

Ange bristled, already aware of the conflict. Perhaps Chise and Oboro would have to fake a confrontation. She tried to stay out of it, though, and continued to search.

"The problem is that I cannot let you continue without getting in your way. Whilst I wish you success in your mission, Chise-dono, I must also keep up my facade." Oboro head cocked to one side. "Or, perhaps... Should I call you _Todo-dono_ , now?"

Chise took a deep breath. "Chise is fine." As Oboro spoke, she had slowly moved her hand across to the hilt of her katana, resting it on the base. "Perhaps, Oboro, we could stage an attack?"

Oboro's back jerked up, her posture righting itself. "Aha. A good suggestion, Chise-dono." She nursed her chin for a moment, then continued. "You could return to the garden, and pretend to be a solitary attacker. We would fight, and in the confusion, your..." She glanced over to Ange, slightly displeased by her insistence on searching the room while they talked, as if she was unaware of the tension. "Your compatriot, could search the room for my charge's notes. In your report, you 'served as a distraction', but in my books I 'did as much as I could'." A smile crept across Oboro's face, but she fought it back. She was clearly eager to enact their plan. "Would that be OK?"

Chise nodded.

Ange stopped searching for a second. "What if your charge comes to secure his notes whilst you fight?" Whilst she hated to entertain Oboro's dramatic scheme, and couldn't deny the idea of just grabbing the notes and leaping out the window, there was a desire to see this through.

"I'm sure you could handle him. He'd sooner beg than fight."

Ange's demeanour cooled. "Then it ought to be fine, as long as you don't get too heated." Standing up and turning to the two, she nodded agreeably. "Then Chise, I'll leave it you." If anything, this was one thing Chise could be trusted to do with ease. A noisy, full-frontal assault. Ange couldn't help but smile at how well-suited this was to Chise's strengths. Well, her version of Chise's strengths, at least.

Chise smiled, seemingly happy to exersice her sword arm. "Then, Oboro, I'll be waiting outside." Making her way across the room and towards the window, Chise pulled it open and leapt out with a surprising calm, despite being on the second floor. The other paid it no heed; they knew Chise would land fine. In fact, it was only a few seconds before they saw her rose and black helmet sprinting back across the lawn.

"Oboro, are you sure you couldn't have thought of something simpler?" Ange voiced her concerns once Chise was outside. "This is a little... Excessive." Despite her tense tone, she didn't stop rooting through the countless bookshelves, draws, and bags the room held. The cipher cracker, Artemis, was clearly a suspicious wreck, to have put this much thought into hiding his work.

"I promise, Chise-dono won't be hurt. I'll give her plenty of chances to escape." Oboro's tone cooled again, but still shook with the anticipation of a fight. "But this is more for our good than anything else. Self-satisfaction, you would call it." She stood, lifting her sword from the floor. It was very similar to Chise's, but had more of a deadly efficiency to it. She mumbled to herself as she lifted it, and looked about for it's sheath."This will do for today..." Before walking out the door, and into her and Chise's dramatisation, she gave Ange one last, calculated look. "By the way, how is Kisaragi?" Her voice relaxed for a second as she asked about Ange's fellow student.

"As a spy, she has a lot to learn." Ange tried not to be too harsh, remembering who was the one with the sword. "But she means well. She is making friends, and getting along well in her training."

Oboro's smile spread across her face. She hid it with one hand and rushed out before Ange could inquire.

"Everyone." Ange could hear Oboro's voice from upstairs. "Someone has been spotted crossing the lawn. They appear to be of Eastern origin. I will try to stop them, but in the case that I cannot, please prepare the saferoom."

"A-A spy?!" Artemis' mumbled voice could barely be discerned.

"Please, there is no need to worry." Oboro sounded flustered, for once. Perhaps she was trying to control them. "I have secured your notes; what matters now is your life." Ange, from upstairs, growled as she realised Oboro could have just told her where the notes were.

A commotion came from downstairs, and Ange froze for a moment, considering how she would explain having entertained Oboro's idea and then been found out regardless.  
She intensified her search, feeling herself get close.

"...I know you're in here, spy." A voice came from outside, and Ange was paralyzed. The female voice from earlier; Nikki. "You were right on time."


	5. A Week Prior, Pt. 4

Ange tried to stay silent, ready to call out the chef's bluff. Rearing her gun towards the door, she continued to search with her free hand, as though she was keeping it hostage.

"Let me in and I'll tell you where his notes are." The light voice from earlier managed to sound genuinely threatening. "We both know you can't kill me. At least, not with that gun." The door didn't budge, waiting for Ange.

Ange tensed, feeling the decision gradually weigh on herself. The C-Ball felt heavy at her hip, and as the first few clashes of Oboro and Chise's fight sounded from outside, she knew she was running out of time.

A scowl came from the other side of the door. "Look inside 'The Albion Wilderness, Part 6. On page 64 you'll find a paper key."

Ange did as she was told. Just as Nikki had promised, it was there. Paper thin, but suprisingly tough, she came to the decision that staying silent was no longer an option. Putting on a fake voice, she pressed up against the door and spoke into the keylock. "You're the informant?"

"Yes. You can trust me, can't you? Everything's gone fine so far." She seemed slightly put-off by Ange's fake voice.

Ange slid the door open a crack. Sure enough, a young woman waited on the other side. Dressed in a neat chef's uniform, and brandishing a knife, Nikki regarded Ange with an odd look. She dropped the fake voice, respecting the length of the chef's knife. "What do you want?" Ange suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia. She had negotiated a similar situation with Charlotte, not too long ago. At least then, they weren't pointing weapons at each other. "You have 30 seconds." Ange stepped back to let Nikki in.

Slipping the knife into her pocket as if it were a sheath, Nikki left the cutting edge facing up. She held out her hand. "The key, then."

As Ange dropped the key into Nikki's hand, she couldn't help but feel like a pawn. As if she had only come here to personally deliver it to her. "How long have you been planning this?"

Nikki smiled as she took the key and began to hurry about the room, follow Artemis' obsessive breadcrumb-trail. "5 years, give or take a few." She seemed to be happy to have the chance for some small talk. "But it's nice to know it's running like clockwork."

Ange heard something familiar in Nikki's voice, but it was gone as soon as it came. Watching her busy about the room was almost dizzying for Ange; the sheer amount of red herrings and loose ends Artemis had left set her teeth on edge thinking about how long it would have taken for her to find it alone.

"How long was that?" Still making sure to whisper, Nikki couldn't hide the wave of pride washing over her voice as she hauled an old leather suitcase from inside the roof.  
Ange didn't bother replying. Instead, she held out her hand for the suitcase. "You're sure it's in there?"

Nikki refused to hand it over. "Why would I be trying to trick you?" Instead, she jammed her knife into the suitcase's flank and tore it open. Sure to her words, inside was countless pages of carefully measured writing and calculations. "One month's worth of notes, as promised."

Ange was sure that in Nikki's head everything she was doing was completely justified, and she was supposed to have reason to suspect her. Having obsessed over anything for so long did that to you. She was about to demand the suitcase, but stopped before she opened her mouth. "What do you want, then?"

Nikki looked up, a grin spreading across her face. "I want you to take me with you."

Ange's brow furrowed. "No." It pained her, for just a moment, to turn her down.

Nikki stood, wrapping her arms around the suitcase. "You have to." She swallowed, her grip on the knife tightening. "I've already poisoned all their food..."

Ange froze in place, unable to demand the suitcase again. Nikki's cold dedication struck her hard, and she was inches from collapsing. "You were that confident your plan was going to work?"

"It has so far." Nikki almost took a step back, but instead moved forwards, holding out her free hand. "Please."

Ange's fist balled as she felt her throat choke up. "Okay." The words felt foreign in her mouth, but not wrong. "Come with me. We need to get to the attic."

Sure enough, Ange's plan was correct: having made it to the half of the house which hadn't burnt down, she found that the roof was still mostly thatched. Hacking apart the roof with Nikki's knife, the light of the moon slowly shone down into the attic.

Ange was usually a stickler for not leaving traces, but it hardly mattered anymore. The most important thing now was making it out without being seen, and quickly. Having two passengers using the C-Ball would need some extra height, and she was confident that this would be high enough.

Tossing aside the knife after the hole was big enough to crawl through, she rose up and struggled through it, happy to get a lungful of the cool night air after the stuffy tension of Artemis' room.  
After reaching out to Nikki and helping her up, the two climbed up to the peak of the roof.

"What are we doing out here?!" Nikki couldn't help but be mildly concerned by Ange's escape route.

"Don't complain. This is for your sake." Ange didn't bother to explain; actions would speak louder than words right now. Bringing out the C-Ball and grabbing Nikki's hand, she hunkered down, ready to sprint down the side of the roof. Calculating the proper angle in her head, she didn't notice Nikki blush as she squeezed her hand. "On 3... 2... 1..."

Nikki gingerly copied Ange, shuffling down onto her knees. Still having no idea what was about to happen, she was barely able to keep when Ange burst into a run.

Dorothy was starting to get bored. Having finished the brandy in the first hour of the operation, she'd ended up falling asleep. After dreaming softly of Beatrice and almost catching a cold, she awoke to find Ange leaning over her with a dissapointed look on her face.

"I thought you said you'd be ready to go..." She grumbled, shaking Dorothy awake, and hopping over her to get into the passenger seat. "We've got a schedule."

"Huh...?" Still drowsy, Dorothy shuffled up, steadying herself on the steering wheel. For a moment she thought it was just her sleepiness, but she swore she couldn't find Chise anywhere. In her place was a similarly-sized English woman in a chef's outfit, who had already made herself comfortable in the backseat, wearing a dizzy but tearful expression. "Chise...? Where's Chise..?" She slowly came to her senses, and her voice pitched.

Ange took the bait. "Chise mysteriously transformed into this woman halfway through the mission. It seems this is her most powerful form." She deadpanned.

"Ange... Don't screw with me..." Terrified that they might have lost Chise, Dorothy advanced on Ange. "Where is Chise?" For the time being, she paid no heed to the odd new passenger.

Ange recoiled, spitting out the truth. "Duelling with a mysterious Easterner to put on an elaborate ploy for the sake of her dignity."

"The truth!"

"It is the truth. She's probably waiting by the gates right now."

Dorothy cursed and gunned the engine.


	6. A Week Prior, Pt. 5

Dorothy tried to ignore the quiet, restrained sobbing from behind her. Instead, she kept pulling the truth out of Ange. "So she just dropped out the window, without telling you anything?" She felt a headache coming on as she separated the truth from the lies.

"Yes. It seems 'Oboro' has some relation to Kisaragi, though." Ange was barely managing to hold on as Dorothy gunned it back through the half-forest they came in through. Normally, she would have been able to stay in her seat, even if the car was sideways, but today, Dorothy was driving with even more reckless vigor than usual. "I think we can trust her."

"Sometimes..." Dorothy grimaced as she swerved the car back onto the road. The greenery was swept away and replaced by the Count's Mansion, waiting patiently on the horizon. "...Just trusting someone isn't good enough!" She accelerated as the road smoothed out, kicking the three into the backs of their seats. "Honestly, no matter how much you 'trust' someone, you can't just let them run off..."

Ange didn't seem convinced. "Well, Chise was always saying she wanted to be more useful."

Dorothy swore under her breath as they came closer. A stubborn Ange wasn't something she liked dealing with.

 

Chise had realized, not long into their mock fight, that she was wildly outclassed. And from Oboro's first strike, it had been obvious she wasn't holding back. She had come at Chise again and again, taking every chance she got, clearly aware that Chise was on the back foot.

Chise had decided to retreat to somewhere she had the advantage, even if that meant losing herself amongst the garden's ornaments and mazes. She had only won against Jubei thanks to her nimble feet, and this fact was becoming more frustrating with every passing second.

"Chise-dono, why are you hiding?" Oboro's cool voice cut through the air as Chise navigated through one of the garden's many hedge mazes. "Didn't you have something you wanted to prove?" Oboro's sadistic side was coming out, and Chise could feel it like rising water.

She knew Oboro wasn't far behind. She could hear her blade ringing as it cut apart the hedges. At least, Chise was thankful Oboro was making as much noise as she could, intentionally making it easier for her to escape. Chise hoped this was why, but in the half-light of the early morning, she couldn't help but feel vulnerable.

It choked Chise to have to run like this. Just like her honor had motivated her to entertain Oboro, it was the same feeling that now begged her to turn around and fight. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. As if in response, the maze went silent. Oboro's blade could no longer be heard, and even the rustling of the hedges had stopped. Considering her options, Chise finally let her dignity get the better of her.

Climbing to the top of the hedges in an act that would usually be considered 'cheating', Chise found the hedges that made up the maze were surprisingly thick, and made for sturdy enough walkways. Now able to see all the greenery around her, Chise paled to find no trace of Oboro cutting through the hedge maze to pursue her. Instead, she only found slight cuts on the top of each hedge row. She had been playing her since she entered the maze.

"You think you're the only nimble one, Chise-dono?" From behind her, Oboro held back a laugh as she stretched up to her full height. "I would have let you go if you'd just surrendered." Her voice didn't speak of her exertion at all, and kept intensely stable as she lunged at Chise.

 

Dorothy slammed the brakes as the three came up to the gates of Count Casisle's estate. In the low light, the only thing they could see were silhouettes of the mansion, far in the distance, and the low fence surrounding the estate. She turned to Ange, a scowl crossing her face. "Well, now what?!" Having stayed mostly quiet until now, Dorothy had let her emotions ruminate inside her.

"Perhaps we should fire a flare." Ange grumbled from the passenger seat. "She didn't tell me anything past this."

Dorothy reared up to her full height. "A flare?! Is that your best idea? I didn't even bring one! I didn't think you would--" Ange managed to cut her off.

"Oh, there she is." As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, a figure cut out of the darkness at the foot of the main gate. "Ah... she's..." Ange voice trailed off, and then she leapt out of the car.

"Ange...?! I'm not done..." Dorothy tried to pull her back, but as she followed Ange's eyes and picked the same figure out of the darkness, a similar fear crept over her, and she found herself running towards it too.

Chise, laying face up on the pavement. Her copper helmet left carefully on her stomach, and an empty sheath next to her, she looked almost comfortable on the cobbles. Ange was already besides her, checking for vitals.

"Alive..." Ange sighed, standing up. "Alive, just unconscious." Turning to Dorothy, she stepped back, expecting her comeuppance.

Nothing came. Instead, Dorothy tended to Chise, checking her over for wounds. She came to the same conclusion as Ange had, and then collapsed onto her knees, letting the tension flow out of her.  
After a few attempts to wake her up, Ange and Dorothy had decided it would be best to wait until they were back. Packing her things into the back and wrapping her up in a blanket, Chise's still body was laid in the backseat. Next to her, the red-eyed chef flinched. "Is- Is she...?"

"Not dead." Dorothy interjected, not wanting to hear the next word. "Look after her."

Hesitantly, the chef shuffled across the seat towards Chise, and wrapped an arm around her. It seemed she appreciated the warmth of Chise's body, and quickly pulled her close.

As the two piled back into the car, Dorothy gave Ange a questioning look.

Ange didn't reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a long wait for this one; I've been very busy recently, so you'll have to forgive me. One last chapter to finish this arc up and then i'll move into short story territory. Perhaps Chise and Oboro will have a rematch somewhere down the line.


	7. Debriefing

Back in their clubroom, the group of four were taking a moment to recouperate from an unexpectedly high-octane mission.

Dorothy. A tired, exasperated look on her face, she was already writing out their report to Control. Not bothering to talk to Ange, out of some kind of punishment, a dull silence hung over them.  
Ange. Talking lightly with the shadow that had been shuffling about her since their arrival, she tried to explain the situation. Nikki's gaunt expression still told of her mental exhaustion, but there was a light growing in their eyes.

Chise. A bandage hastily applied to her head, and her empty sheathe in her hand, she was reading a scrawled japanese letter over and over. She had told the others after she found it, folded neatly up inside the sheathe, that it read _'I'll leave it with Horikawa. Next time we'll play for keeps, though.'_

It was an unfamiliar scene, this much dejection after a mission that should have been considered a success.

"There. Done." Cutting through the silence as she dropped her pen back into it's fountain, Dorothy folded up the report she'd been writing. "A report, an apology, and papers for Nikki to be sent over the wall." Slipping the papers into an envelope, it seemed as though she had calmed down. "How does thursday sound?"

"My name is Nikki Quinnell." Standing infront of the other three, Nikki held herself with a still-shaky seriousness.

"Oh. Oooh..." Dorothy connected the dots quickly. Not needing to be told anything else, she slipped further into her chair as a tense knot in her chest relaxed. "That makes sense."

Nikki nodded. "Miss Dorothy seems to already know, but I'm somewhat of a missing person. I have been for five years, now."

"Looks like you got lucky, Ange." Dorothy laughed under her breath. "Maybe you'll get a reward." It seemed she wasn't much in the mood for empathy.

Ange wasn't laughing. "So, you were kidnapped? Couldn't you just run?" She already knew the answer, but couldn't help asking. Someone her age wouldn't have been able to survive on the streets, let alone make it across the wall alone.

"I could run, easily." Nikki's face sunk. "The problem was staying hidden with the police force and every private eye looking for you." She continued, her eyes moving away from the three's inquisitive faces. "With the Count working for the Kingdom's Intelligence, I heard all the rumors. It wasn't hard to think of the plan, but actually doing it was..." Nikki trailed off, choking up slightly.

Dorothy stood up. "Well, that doesn't matter anymore. We'll keep you safe, here, until you can get back across the wall."

 

With that, Nikki's brief time at Queen's Mayfaire Academy began. For the first few days, she stayed hidden in Ange's room, mostly sleeping. Ange would occasionally come back to find her room dusted clean. Whenever this happened, she would take a moment to remind Nikki she preffered her room messy, if only to maintain her persona. After this, Nikki found she had nothing left to do. Despite her boredom, she stayed inside, never even leaving Ange's room, and some days not even leaving 'her' bed. This changed once Charlotte found her. She'd been left in the dark for most of the week, only managing to find Nikki on the wednesday, after going into Ange's room to look for her whilst she was out on patrol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of this 'story', but I'll add to it as time goes on and I think of something cute. Particularily, this chapter segways nicely into the next one I plan on writing. Also this is now an OT3 fic.
> 
> I'll come back to this every once in a while, but for now I plan on writing a Flip Flappers - check that anime out if you haven't yet - fic that i've been planning for a little while. Once I figure out the perfect Pripri ship I'll come back and write it.
> 
> Also, University is ending for me in two weeks, so i'll be spending plenty of time writing during my winter break.


	8. Fake Cake

"Dorothy, can I ask you something...?" Out of the blue on a rare winter lunchtime when it wasn't raining, Princess Charlotte cut through the gloom of the afternoon with her familiar, bouncy tone.

"S- Sure, Princess." Dorothy replied, trying not to let her tea get diluted by the spots of rain still dripping off the umbrella shielding them from the worst of it. "Ask away."

A funny expression came across Charlotte's face as she danced around the subject in her mind. "Would you mind telling me why there is a young girl I've never seen before in Ange's room?"

Dorothy jerked up for a moment, almost spilling her teacup across the table. "Haah... Well, it might be best to ask Ange about that." She preffered not to be reminded of that evening. "I hardly know myself. It made sense at the time."

"I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't talk to me after seeing my face. All she said was that she was here to get across the wall." Charlotte remembered the last time they were in this situation, and couldn't help but be worried about the prospect of getting anyone else across the wall. "Is it true?"

"Well, I know last time didn't go as planned, but this time she's all checked out. You'd be surprised, but throwing a lost girl back over the wall isn't as hard as it sounds." Dorothy paused to take a sip of her tea. "That's why we have the Wall Team, after all. They're a darn sight more reliable than we are, in most cases." Dorothy could guess why Nikki hadn't wanted to talk to Princess, but didn't bother making things more complicated.

"P-Princess, what's this about a lost girl?" The only other member of the team present, Beatrice, stammered from across the table, not doing too well with the cold.

"It's nothing to worry about, Beato." Princess lent her a hand. "Just normal spy things."

"You spies are hardly ever normal..." Beatrice grumbled, and stood up. "Princess, can we get out of the cold, now?" Their uniform had no pockets, so Beatrice had ended up slipping her hands into her armpits for warmth, as undignified as it was. "I know it was your idea, but..."

"It's fine, Beato. I was just finished anyway. Shall we?" Princess and Dorothy stood up, and they hurried across the court and back inside. "Dorothy, is it OK if I try to speak with her some more?"

"If you can get anything out of her, go for it." At this point, Dorothy was rather uninterested in their stowaway chef. Ange had gone out of her way to pick her up, and she was leaving the rest to her. "She definitely hasn't said anything to me since we picked her up."

Princess' brow creased as Dorothy let loose more of the information surrounding this mysterious girl's circumstances. She kept on making it sound like she was some girl they'd unwillingly picked off the street. "I'm sure Ange isn't the most polite roommate, so I was thinking I could become her friend instead."

Dorothy laughed. "Honestly, Princess, at this rate, the whole world will be your friend."

Princess smiled as they came out of the rain. "That's the dream."

 

The next day, Charlotte went to greet Nikki, after having interrogated Ange about her last night.  _Nikki Quinnell, a 'genius chef' that was kidnapped by a Count in the Kingdom five years ago. Since then, she has been cooking for him and his guests, whilst plotting to escape._  That was all Ange had told her. She felt like she'd been spared some of the messier details, but didn't mind. At least now, she understood why Nikki had been so hesitant to speak to her. Naturally, she'd come to fear the high-class. In fact, Charlotte herself might have been her guest at one point or another.

Charlotte cleared her throat, and put on her best impression of Ange. She was also wearing the 'Ange' wig Ange had comissioned from Controlrecently. "Nikki." Charlotte almost gawked; she couldn't decide if her impression was parodically far off or dangerously close to the real thing. "I'm coming in."

She heard an agreeable noise from within, and some shuffling.

Charlotte pushed the door open gingerly, to find Nikki making Ange's bed hurriedly. As soon as their eyes met, she practically slid away from the bed, and onto a nearby chair.

"Ms Le Carré." She adressed 'Ange' with an intense stiffness that told Charlotte just how cold Ange had been to her. Charlotte made a mental note to give Ange what was coming to her for being mean to a guest. "You're usually not around at this hour. What brings you back so early?" Nikki seemed to be swallowing a slight blush.

"Ah--" Charlotte found she had no reply. Despite looking so similar to Ange, she lacked her foresight. That spy-- That lizard, would have surely come up with an elaborate cover. "My mission was rather difficult last night. I was feeling tired, so I decided to retire to my room." Even if she was trying her best, she couldn't keep her formal adress out of her vocabulary. "Besides, I wanted to talk to you."

"M-Me?" Nikki shuffled about in her seat all of a sudden, tidying her face with the back of her hand. "What about, Ms. Le Carré?" It was obvious Nikki hadn't done much socialising in her years away from home. "I don't think I have anything to tell you that is nearly as interesting as what you do..."

_I don't think you'd enjoy my friendship..._ Charlotte shivered as some memories were dredged up. In some ways, she could see 'Charlotte' in Nikki. "Well, first, you can call me Ange instead of 'Ms. Le Carré" It wasn't too in-character, but Charlotte felt like she couldn't breath with Nikki being so serious to her.

"Ange, then." Nikki seemed to be cooling down quickly. "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

Charlotte relaxed onto the bed, feeling a wave of tiredness come over her. She immediately noticed the bed Ange slept on wasn't nearly as comfortable as her own, but cast aside the thought. "Much better." Her mind drifted from how to keep up her exhausting 'Ange' act, and instead to how she would tell Nikki she was actually the Princess. "First of all, you and I should get out of the academy for once. Out of this room, at least."

Nikki responded badly, retreating back into the chair as if into a corner. She seemed to be rolling a lot of thoughts around in her head. "I-- I don't think that would be a good idea, Ange. I'm sure the police are looking for me. They always are." She visibly shook, and Charlotte choked. She made a mental note to do something about the Count who had kidnapped her. Surely, with her position, she could do something.

Charlotte interjected. "You don't need to worry about that." From behind her, she brought the 'Charlotte' wig. Such a picture-perfect wig felt wierd in her hands. Almost wrong. She handed it to Nikki, who took it and gave it a good look. "You can wear this." 

Nikki rolled the wig over in her hands. "I don't think I would make a very good Princess." Charlotte noted that Nikki had become a very different person as they had talked; the timid girl from earlier looked almost confident, now. "I'd probably look better in the one you're wearing, anyway." The room went cold for an instant.

Charlotte wasn't sure she heard right. "My... Wig?" She stammered, completely taken off guard by Nikki's trump card. She'd clearly seen through Charlotte's terrible acting.

"Mhmm." Nikki still seemed rather timid, but there was a look in her eye that looked satisfied. "Wouldn't it make more sense if I had the 'Ange' Wig, and went with the Princess? Then the police wouldn't be able to arrest me even if the wig fell off." A sound plan, even by Ange's standards.

"Ah." Charlotte was defeated. She took of the wig slowly, not wanting to startle Nikki like she had yesterday. "You'll still speak to me, even if I'm the Princess?"

"Well, I only noticed after a bit, but--" Nikki took a moment to think. "--I think, if you're going to go out of your way to speak to me, I don't have anything to fear." A smile flashed across Nikki's face. "Besides, if there's anything Ms. Le Carré would talk to me about, it was you. She always said how kind you were."

Charlotte was struck by Ange and Nikki's combined flattery. She handed over the Ange wig, which Nikki took eagerly, looking at it much harder than she had the Princess wig before. She still felt a icy tension from Nikki, but the girl's smile set her heart at rest. "Shall we go, then?" Despite being almost a foot taller than Ange, Nikki made for a very dashing, and almost convincing, version of her friend.

 

"You know, I could have made these back at Mayfaire..." Nikki mused whilst taking a bite of a lemon parfait. Charlotte, from across the table, had strawberry. The rain from yesterday had cleared up, and the weather was actually surprisingly tolerable, for the middle of winter. Both girls were wrapped up in plenty of fluffy layers of coats and scarves, and looked practically glowing from the other side of the bakery's rose-tinted windows. "Cooking's all I've done for five years. I can make a parfait in two seconds flat."

Charlotte cringed to hear Nikki talk with such a dull tone about what used to be such a passion for her. "Well, that's excactly why you need to eat other people's food. Cooks shouldn't persist on their own cooking alone." Charlotte was sure she had heard that somewhere, but it made sense.

"Well, they are awfully tasty." Nikki smiled from underneath her scarf, the Ange wig, and all the worries she held deep inside, and Charlotte was almost able to tell herself it was Ange smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like it was best to at least end this arc as soon as I came out of writing bankrupcy. Embarassingly, I translated Monica's infiltration mission not too long ago, and it makes the events of this fic slightly less close-to-canon as I would've liked. No worry.  
> Now that I've finished the chapter, I think one more chapter should give the story a nice conclusion, or at least connect it to the first chapter.


	9. A Change of Plans

"I have to admit, Princess..." Nikki spoke up after finishing her parfait. Charlotte herself was only halfway through her own, having been caught up in her thoughts. "This is nice. Thank you for taking the time to invite me out. If anything, you've got good taste." Nikki was slightly cut off as a handsome waiter came by.

"Excuse me, Princess Charlotte?" Leaning down to the two girls, he offered them, or really offered Charlotte, a tall glass of lemonade. "The manager would like you to have this; it's on the house." Smiling, he stood up again, wanting to be polite and leave, but unable to pull himself away from a chance of a conversation with a princess. "We're all very pleased you'd grace us with your presence." He kept piling on the compliments, and Charlotte's cheeks slowly filled up with a soft red.

"Thank you very much." Smiling through her embarassment, Charlotte nodded curtly. "It's an honor to always be treated so kindly."

With that, the waiter gave Charlotte another half-bow and strode off, clearly wooed by Charlotte's smile.

Nikki laughed. "Do you get the 'royal treatment' everywhere you go, Princess?" Despite talking to Charlotte, her eyes seem fixed on the drink they'd just been delivered, which still sat in the middle of the crisp tablecloth.

"Unfortunately..." Charlotte didn't seem too happy. "I'd prefer it if people just treated me like a normal girl." She shrugged. "But, I learned just to grin and bear it a long time ago."  
"It's hard to argue with good things." Nikki thought for a moment. "Hm, does that mean I should call you Charlotte?"

"If you do, I'll let you have the drink." Charlotte pushed the lemonade across the table, watching with amusement as Nikki's eyes trailed it. She'd never liked accepting gifts for the 'Princess' she was pretending to be.

"Thank you, then, Charlotte." Nikki took a long drink, and Charlotte could almost see the knots in her come undone. "It's been a long time since I had some of this..." She smiled deeply. "Honestly, if you told me a few years ago that I'd have escaped and that I was having lunch with the Princess of Albion, well..." Nikki's smile persisted, but had a different feel to it. "I'd hardly believe you."

"Haha. Believe me, it happens to everyone." Charlotte didn't want Nikki to pry too deeply into that comment. "In fact, a lot of outrageous things have happened in our livetimes, don't you think?" More than just herself and Ange, a whole wall had cut Albion decisively in two. Everyone's life was different, now, and Charlotte cursed herself for forgetting this so often.

"Charlotte, if you could," Nikki spoke up again, this time with a much softer tone. "could you thank Ange for saving me?" She couldn't fight off the slight red colour spreading across her cheeks as she spoke. "I'm really... Really thankful for her rescuing me last week."

Charlotte perked up. "Thank her? Can't you?"

"Well, I'll be leaving this evening, and Ange is always out at this time of the night. I don't know if I'll even get to say goodbye." Nikki looked like this was the first time she'd considered this, and was suddenly thrown into a much more sombre mood. "Besides, I don't know if I could talk to her, even if I wanted to..."

Charlotte fought off a chuckle. Ange could definitely be scary, especially to someone who hadn't seen her softer side. "I'll be sure to let her know." Charlotte watched Nikki shuffle about under Ange's spell. "But when I was talking to her, she told me she was just a pawn in your grand escape plan. I think you're not giving yourself enough credit."

Nikki laughed, but Charlotte couldn't tell if she was laughing with or at what she had said. "Well, my plan hinged on her generosity. I'm sure she could have just thrown me off."

Charlotte was surprised, for a moment, before reaising that this sudden generosity she had shown Nikki wasn't too out of the blue. She could see parts of Ange and Charlotte in the girl before her, to the point she could almost forget she wasn't actually talking to her. "Generosity? Well, that's the first time I've heard someone say that about Ange. Perhaps she fancies you."

Nikki blushed again, jumping back in her seat. "She-- I---?" She stopped for a moment to collect her thoughts. Flustered, she looked a world different from the intense, eagle-eyed adult she'd shown Charlotte back at Mayfaire. "No, Charlotte, I don't think it's anything like that. I was just at the right place at the right time."

With that, Charlotte finished her parfait. "Speaking of the right place..." It had begun to rain. "Let's get back, shall we? Perhaps we'll find Ange when we return."

"Let's be on our way, then." Dorothy, Charlotte, Chise and Nikki were all gathered together in the team's 'private garage'. Whilst Charlotte was saying almost-teary goodbyes to her new friend, Dorothy and Chise were checking over their equiptment for their trip across the wall. "Sorry to ask you out on something so unimportant, Chise." Dorothy shot Chise a sympathetic look as she finished the ready-checks on the car.

"You needn't worry, Dorothy." Chise struggled to hold back the honorifics. "I'm part of the team now. I'm happy to come with you." Resting a hand on her blade, she hopped into the car, without saying much of anything to Nikki.

"Nikki, be safe, OK?" Charlotte, on the other hand, was surprisingly emotional, despite having only known her for a few days. Holding Nikki's hand in her own, she shook them up and down. "Don't... Don't get kidnapped again, or anything..."

"Hahah...." Slightly overtaken by Charlotte's goodbyes, Nikki managed a few tears. "Well, if I do, I'm sure Ange will come and rescue me, surely."

"Speaking of Ange, where is she?" Charlotte broke away from Nikki for a moment. It seemed Ange took priority, even when seeing off a friend.

"She's been working with the Wall team to make sure Nikki's way out is nice and safe." Dorothy piped in from behind the car's chassis. "Tch. Honestly, I had to practically shake it out of her." A few questionable noises, and Dorothy popped up. "Well, I guess it's time to go." Looking to Nikki and Charlotte, Dorothy seemed hesitant to break them up.

"Perhaps you'll see Ange on your way! You'll be able to tell her thank you yourself!" Charlotte was smiling as she let go of Nikki's hand.

"..." Nikki looked at her feet for a moment, and then mumbled something. It sounded like 'goodbye'. "...No. I'm not going."

"Get in, then, Nikki." Dorothy wasn't looking at the two, now sitting in her usual seat at the wheel.

"I'm not going." Nikki repeated herself, this time with a confidence she rarely managed. "I feel safer here. With you, Charlotte, and Ange."

"N-Nikki?" Charlotte and Dorothy's voices pitched in unison. "You can't just-- Not go?" Charlotte continued. "Isn't your family waiting for you?"

"I doubt it." Nikki's fist balled. "I want to stay here anyway."

"Ah, well..." Dorothy didn't seem to mind, for some reason. "It's not like you have to go across."

"She doesn't?" Charlotte was smiling, now. Not out of sadness, or force of habit.

"Well, Control actually gave me a second option."

The next morning, Dorothy and Charlotte found themselves in a familiar position. Surrounded by other students, they watched with posed looks as a new student was introduced to them.  
"Everyone, I know we've been having a lot of new students lately." The Headteacher cut through the silence. "But I hope you'll give her a warm welcome..."

As if on cue, Ange hurried in. Late thanks to her arrangements last night, she had a confused, and almost worried look on her face. "Dorothy...!" Coming up to her teammate's side, she seemed relieved to see her. "What happened last night?" She was struggling to keep her cover on. "Was Nikki--" Ange stopped as Dorothy wordlessly pointed ahead.

"A new friend, Nikki Quinell. She's a very renowned cook in Albion, so you'll be able to find her in the culinary department." With a smile, their Headteacher moved aside.

"Good morning, everyone." With a curt smile, Nikki Quinnell was warmly welcomed to her new life alongside Charlotte and Ange. Slightly older and taller than most students, she seemed as awkwardly fit into her uniform as Dorothy. "I'm so happy to be here!"

"What happened?" Ange wasn't angry, but couldn't help but be terribly confused.

"Well, it seems out Princess worked her magic." Dorothy looked across the crowd at Charlotte, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's the end of this 'arc'. I'll be leaving this fic alone for a little while whilst I get some more pripri ideas out of my head - hopefully - and perhaps add one or two short stories to this fic when I want.


	10. Extra Mission: Princess Pastries

"My, my, you're so busy, Nikki!" As a warm summer light drifted through the windows, Princess Charlotte's voice mixed with the late-afternoon wind as it pattered against the curtains. "It feels like you're always cooped up in here."

"Oh, Charlotte." After a slightly surprised lurch from Nikki, she regained her composure and turned to the Princess. Still happily mixing a bowl full of something-or-others, she managed a smile. "I don't have much else to do these days." As true as it was, Nikki couldn't fight an embarrassed chuckle. "You don't even invite me on any missions!" Her smile transformed into a fake-pout, and then back to a contented look.

"I doubt Ange would let either of us join her." Charlotte made her way over to Nikki, who already had quite a set-up ready in the corner of the school kitchen. "But today, I have my own mission." Charlotte pointed and waggled a finger with a satisfied smirk. "A terribly important one!"

"And what would that be?" Trying to divide her attention between Charlotte and her cooking, Nikki did her best to look interested. "I do hope you haven't come to do something awful to me?"

"Haha, I could never do anything like that..." Charlotte approached Nikki menacingly for a second, and then leapt for a nearby wooden spoon. She brandished it at Nikki as a dark look came over her face. "You'll just disapear...!"

Nikki leapt back playfully, still attending to her bowl. Despite having no free arms, she seemed scarily ready to fight. "If you have to kill me, at least promise you'll finish my cake!" She wailed, surrendering to Charlotte's wrath.

Charlotte relaxed, laughing it off. "Oh, you'll have to teach me, then." Lowering the spoon, she bent forwards to take a look in Nikki's bowl. "I was taught so much, but they never thought to teach me how to cook." She looked genuinely confused by it's contents.

"Well, that's why people like me are here." Nikki stated, blisteringly matter-of-factly. "Princesses shouldn't have to get their hands dirty." Nikki choked on her words for a moment. "Ah, well-- I mean, I'd be happy to teach you a thing or two!" Her face was full of passion, for once.

Charlotte leapt up. "Really?" Spurred on by Nikki's own enthusiasm, the two were whipped into a frenzy.

Nikki stopped for a moment. "But you'll have to promise not to be better than me. I hear you're a scary fast learner." She slowed down her mixing for a moment, and then handed the bowl off to Charlotte. "Here's your first lesson." As Charlotte took the bowl from her, Nikki began drifting about the kitchen-top, looking for something to do. "If you can handle that, I'm sure you'll get along fine."

Instinctively, Charlotte began to mix it as Nikki had been, swiping at the yellowy-white paste inside. After a few seconds, her brow furrowed. "It's tough, isn't it? How do you keep going for so long."

Nikki answered without much intonation. "Passion, mostly. Oh, and--" She turned away from the tabletop for a second to flex at Charlotte. To her surprise, Nikki's arms were finely toned.  
With a muted blush, Charlotte set her head down and dug into her work. "Ange would probably be better than me, then..."

Nikki laughed. "Do they even cook on the 'Black Lizard Planet'?" As her laughter petered out, she began to slice some assorted fruits left out across the counter; strawberries, lemons and oranges, all into different patterns that had all been ingrained into her muscle memory. "I'd never dare let Ange cook. That's why I'm here."

Charlotte had to agree. She'd never seen Ange's stomach as satisfied as it had been recently. Barely a second went by without her taste-testing or being almost force-fed some sweet or confectionary by Nikki. "I didn't think you'd want to keep cooking, after..." Charlotte tried to stop herself, but had already started once she realised what she'd said. "After what happened."

Nikki looked perplexed, for a moment. She even stopped cutting. "That's the killer question, Charlotte." With an uneasy smile, she returned to her work. "I've got to keep cooking, or I won't have much left, I guess."

"Sorry to bring that up, Nikki." Charlotte shied away from her guiltily. "I'm the same, really." It wasn't a lie. Charlotte thought, for a moment, that empty people might be drawn together, by some inexplicable force.

"Don't worry about it, Charlotte."

Charlotte felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up from her bowl to see Nikki, still smiling.

"I enjoy cooking, I really do." Nikki sat back again with a cool grin, and got back to her work, now moving on to filling a bag with icing. "Especially if other people enjoy my cooking."  
"So, who'll be enjoying this?" Charlotte felt the room brighten up again.

"Hmmm..." Nikki mocked deep-thought for a second. "Isn't it obvious?"

Charlotte snickered as she imagined Ange being faced with another delicious monstrosity. She had to admit, though, Charlotte enjoyed the thought of having Ange eat her cooking, even if she was only trivially involved.

"We can all eat it together." Nikki interrupted the thought. "That way at least we'll all die if you poison it."

The two girl's laughter continued into the evening, even after the sun set, and they illuminated their fun by candlelight.

 

"Well, I've got some good news and some bad news, Charlotte..."

"What?!"

"Don't worry, it's come out fine. But, I don't know if we'll be able to eat all of this..."

"It really does rise!"

"Yeah-- I-- Might need some help with this one!"

"Where did all of those muscles go?"

The two fumbled about with their cake, passing it back and forth between them, laughing all the while. It was an impressive feat, both in size and execution; perhaps due to Nikki's natural skills, the cake had managed to retain an amazing amount of structure. After hauling the behemoth up, onto the work surface, the two merrily decorated it with icing and cut fruit. It seemed they'd lost track of time, and even made an outrageous amount of fruit and icing.

"Perfect, don't you think?" Satisfied, Nikki stood back.

"Thanks to you..." Charlotte's whimper was almost swallowed up by Nikki wrapping an arm around her.

"Baby steps, Charlotte! That's how you learn everything."

"You're awfully energetic all of a sudden, Nikki!" Slightly overwhelmed by Nikki's enthusiasm, Charlotte laughed along with her.

"Well," Smiling through her embarrassment, Nikki hugged Charlotte even tighter. "It's just, that that was the most fun I've had cooking in ages."

 

"P-Princess?!" Ange spluttered as two girls invaded her room, along with a third terror. "What are you--?!" Without having time to set up her guise of lies, Ange was taken off guard and bowled over by their entrance.

"We thought you might be hungry, so we made a cake for you!" Charlotte beamed, setting the cake down on Ange's bed, almost crushing her in the process.

"You're not going to..." Ange almost attempted to escape as she took in the scale of their cake, with all of it's excessive icing and mixed-salad-tier decorations. "I wouldn't be able to..." Her face paled as Nikki and Charlotte took their seats next to her. "I'd..."

"We'll take it once slice at a time, then, Ange."

Ange tried to squeak out another word, but found she was frozen stiff as the two girls put a firm hand on her shoulder.

It was a long night for all three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't think I'd be coming back to this fic so soon. I realised I hadn't really written any proper fluff for this ship, so I thought I'd add some.


	11. Secret Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On their first Valentine's, Charlotte has a special mission for Ange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this WILL be the single most self-indulgent thing I've ever written. Please be aware that this is a stuffing kink chapter for me and me alone. But no-one else reads this fic so it's not like it's going to matter. Well, it's mostly safe, so don't be too put off - I'm sure you might be able to get a laugh out of it.  
> This fic isn't necessarily chronological, so this particular chapter takes place a few months into their relationship.  
> Edit: I changed a great deal of this fic over valentine's after countless rereads. If anyone read this before I saved it from those grevious mistakes, I can only apologise. I really should have edited it before posting it. But now, I can assure you; it's perfect.

"Today, Ange." Princess Charlotte and Ange were idly reclining in The Princess' room, after she had called her there under special circumstances. "I have a very special mission for you." Kneeling on her bed, their faces were ruddy with the laughter they'd shared a few minutes earlier. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Of course, Princess." Adopting the steely voice of 'Ange', after having comfortably relaxed into the voice she only used around Charlotte, she smiled at Charlotte's cheery tone. "Anything for you, Princess." She leant forwards all of a sudden, ready to accept a kiss.

"No, Ange..." Charlotte despaired, knowing Ange had no idea what she was talking about. Sealing her lips with a finger, she fought the urge to kiss her adorable counterpart. "I'm talking about Valentine's day."

Disappointed, Ange sat back onto their bed, cocking her head. "V-Valentine's..?" She spoke the word with no recognition, almost flubbing the pronunciation. "Ah, yes, Princess. Of course." Trying not to be found wanting, Ange faked confidence, nodding sagely.

"Ange, don't you know what Valentine's is?" Charlotte's assumptions were confirmed by Ange's reaction. "Surely you at least remember it from before the revolution." To be honest, Princess wasn't awfully surprised at Ange's cluelessness. This wasn't the first time she'd had no idea what Charlotte was talking about when it came to love.

"..." Ange shrugged. "We... We didn't do Valentine's on the Black Lizard Planet."

Charlotte couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you're in Albion, now, so I'll have to educate you." This time, Ange was far too cute to resist hugging. Breaking it after a second, she left a kiss on Ange's cheek.

"Valentine's..." Ange was smiling now, happy at least that her obliviousness had earnt a kiss. She racked her memory, trying to get another. "I did hear Dorothy talking about it a few times."

"I'm sure she's very excited." Charlotte laughed, imagining how the ever-popular Dorothy would be spending her first Valentine's. It was definitely a rare opportunity to get a second shot at school romances. "Saint Valentine's Day is a festival of love." Charlotte nodded as she spoke, happy to be teaching Ange about an important date in any girl's calendar. "You celebrate it by giving hand-made chocolates to the-" She stopped herself before she ruined Ange's hopes. "The _object_ of your affection."

"That sounds wonderful, Princess!" Ange's eyes had already lit up, no doubt picturing the chocolates she would give to her. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow." 

Ange's face drooped. "Tomorrow? But... I didn't make anything for you, Princess..." A stinging sadness struck her, and her mind raced to think of some way to make it up to her.

"Ah!" Charlotte realised too late that she'd set Ange off. When they were together, her emotions became somewhat of a glass house. Fortunately, this also meant she was just as easy to cheer up. "Don't worry, Ange. You can make it up to me by doing something else."

Eager to redeem herself, Ange perked up again. "That _special mission_?" 

"Exactly." Putting on a serious face she pictured Ange's 'bosses' had when they gave Ange her real orders, Princess pointed a demanding finger at her. "Tomorrow, your mission is... To imitate the Princess!"

"What?" Ange couldn't believe her ears. "But that would mean you'd miss out on all the chocolate...!" Not able to refuse, but not wanting to accept, Ange was caught in an impossible position.

"Well, I, uh..." Charlotte hadn't expected Ange to question her this much. Usually, when she gave Ange orders, she obeyed them without a moment's hesitation. "I have a stomach ache. Besides, they're not giving chocolate to me. They're giving chocolate to the Princess. So, don't you think you deserve it, for once?"

"A stomach ache?" Charlotte gawked as Ange completely ignored her heartfelt plea. She was pleased that Ange cared about her health, but no so much that she didn't care about her history as the rightful Princess. "You should've told me."

Charlotte interrupted her before Ange could begin rushing about looking for medicine. "It's fine, Charlotte." Using her real name snapped Ange's focus back to the Princess with a machine-like efficiency. "I just don't think I should be eating any chocolates, tomorrow. So, I think you should have mine, instead."

"Okay, Princess." Ange still seemed downtrodden.

"What kind of answer is that, Ange? Aren't you supposed to be a spy?" She teased Ange, trying to pull a more vibrant answer out of her.

"..." Ange cleared her throat, and straightened up. "Understood!"

Applauding Ange's display, Charlotte smiled as she watched her plan come into motion. "Ah, but first..." Reaching across into a drawer on her bedside table, Princess pulled out a cutesy pink bag, drawn with a red bow and tapered with a letter that read _'To Beatrice'_. "I'll have to teach you how to accept gifts like a real Princess. Let's give this a try." Undoing the drawstring, she picked a chocolate from inside. With a cough, she put on a new voice.

"Ah--P-Princess," Charlotte mumbled and stuttered, slowly handing out the chocolate. "I-Mm-made these for you!"

Ange sat perfectly still, trying not to laugh. As Charlotte thrust the lump of chocolate into her face, she gave her a heart-melting smile. As expected, her imitation of the Princess was spot-on. "Ah, are these for Valentine's?"

"Y-yes. They're... R--r..." Princess stuttered for what could have been an eternity. "Raspberry flavoured! I don-don't know if it's your favourite, but... If you wou--would at least t-take it...!"

Graciously, Ange took it. "Thank you ever so much." Popping it into her mouth, the glow that lit up her face was absolutely genuine. After all, this was still handmade chocolate straight from Charlotte. "It's really wonderful!" Making sure to wait until after she swallowed, Ange smothered Charlotte with compliments. "Happy Valentine's day..." Ange's 'Princess' facade wore off, suddenly. "Oh, but... I don't have any chocolates to give to you!"

"Believe me, Ange." Returning as well to her own voice, Charlotte put a hand on Ange's thigh. "You won't be able to give everyone some chocolate." Her face was scarily serious. "Besides, just thanking them will be good enough."

Ange gave a curt nod. "If that's Okay, Princess."

"Well then, Ange." With a serious air about her, Princess gave Ange her best salute. "Good luck on your mission tomorrow!"

"Understood!" Ange responded with another salute, not that she ever did that when L gave her missions. Unable to hold her laughter back, they both collapsed onto the bed.

 

Ange slept well that night, excited to enjoy her first Valentine's, and to carry out her mission especially for Charlotte. With the remarkably delicious taste of Charlotte's chocolates still hanging on her tongue, she was lulled to sleep by fluffy thoughts of sharing some with her.

 

When Ange woke, Dorothy was already on her way out, a thin smile on her face that Ange rarely got to see. "Happy Valentine's, Ange." She had her own girly bundle hanging from her fingers as she left, shooting her partner-in-crime an energetic look. "Don't have too much fun, OK?"

Ange instantly realised she'd overslept. The first step of spending a day as the Princess, and she'd already failed. Sliding into her uniform and getting her hair ready, she slipped on the sparkling-blonde 'Charlotte' wig and used the C-Ball to float her way over to her room.

"Sorry, Princess..." As she hop-skipped and jumped her way into Princess' room, she was pleased to find Charlotte still asleep, only if it meant she wouldn't be getting yelled at. It seemed the Princess of Albion was more than happy to seize an off-day. Not wanting to wake her sleeping beauty, Ange padded softly around the room, applying some make-up, combing her hair, and practicing her smile in the mirror. As she went to leave, though, the image of the slumbering Princess caught her eye again. If she stayed like this all day, would Beatrice ever get the chocolates she'd prepared for her? Even if Ange herself didn't much like the Princess' left-hand lady, she wouldn't want Charlotte's hard work to go waste, so she made sure to pick them up before departing.

As Ange left, one of Charlotte's eyes darted open, and then jammed shut again, as she managed a smile.

 

_"Ah, this is wonderful! Happy Valentine's Day!_

_"Thank you very much. Happy Valentine's Day!"_

_"I had no idea you were such a good cook! Happy Valentine's Day!"_

_"They're delicious! Happy Valentine's Day!"_

Only on her way to deliver Charlotte's chocolates to Beatrice, Ange had to deal with almost a dozen girls offering her chocolate. She was starting to think she might've been set up. By the time she reached Beatrice's room, she was practically swimming through a quagmire of chocolate and girls. She found herself worrying about wether she would run out of unique-enough compliments, or space in her stomach, first.

"P-Princess?" As Ange burst through the door, and taking care not to trap anyone's fingers as she shut it behind herself, Beatrice hopped out of bed in surprise. "You could've just waited for me!" Beatrice's panicked expression gradually faded as she took in the scene. "Oh, is that Miss Ange?"

Ange sighed. She was relieved, at least, that she wouldn't be receiving any chocolate from Beatrice. "Yes. Princess Charlotte asked me to take her place today, as she felt a stomach ache coming on." She still wholeheartedly believed Charlotte.

"A--A stomach ache?" Beatrice's line felt oddly familiar. "She should have told me, I've got plenty of medicine." Getting dressed, Beatrice prepared herself mentally to follow Ange's lead for the day. "But, why are you here, Miss Ange?" Surely, it wasn't to pick her up.

"Well, Princess had some chocolates for you, and I wanted to make sure you received them." Handing over the bag, she remembered that she had handed a few of them out to some of the students along the way.

Beatrice was filled with energy by Ange's and Charlotte's combined display of gratitude. "R-really?" Hurrying over to the pretend Princess, she gratefully took the bag, almost tearing it open, before remembering her manners. "Thank you, Miss Ange. Would you like one?"

"No, thank you." Ange was sure she would need as much space in her stomach as possible if she was to survive the next few hours.

"Well, at least allow me to accompany you, 'Princess'." Beatrice gave Ange a contented smile. "Today of all days, you might need it." Beatrice knew exactly why Princess had offloaded her responsibilities onto Ange today.

"I'm sure I could use some help, Beato." Returning the expression, Ange gingerly opened the door behind her and ventured out, with Beatrice accompanying her, this time. The two looked just as sparkling as ever, even if Beatrice had a slightly knowing look on her face.

 

It wasn't long before they found their next 'suitor'. Lily Gaveston, whom Ange had developed somewhat of a dislike for during her time at Mayfaire. Beatrice, too, had never much liked her. She was the kind that was cocky, and knew it.

"Ah, Princess! Just the lady I was looking for!" Not accompanied by any of her 'goons', Lily wasn't able wipe that stubborn look off her face, even when presenting the Princess with chocolate. In one hand, she held an expensive-looking box, marked with ribbons and tiny love-hearts, and in the other, a prim, light purple letter embroidered with hearts.

"Lily." Ange replied, trying not to let her own opinions murk her impression of the Princess. "Happy Valentine's."

"Mm, Exactly." Lily nodded, and held out the box. "I'd like you to have these, Princess. As a sign of good will."

Ange took them without a word, and handed them off to Beatrice. "Well, thank you very much. I'm sure they're delicious." Ange had managed to spite Lily and avoid having more chocolate forced down her throat in one fell swoop. "Well, if you'll excuse us, Lily, I must be getting to class. Good day."

Lily spluttered. As the two liars walked past her, she looked as though she was struggling to stay standing. "Of-Of course, Princess..." Ange and Beatrice shared a chuckle at Lily's expense, once they were sure she was out of earshot. 

 

Ange's first lesson as Princess Charlotte came and went without much excitement. The most eager students had already hunted her down and given her their gifts. Ange had to admit, she felt somewhat exposed without Beatrice by her side. At the end of the lesson, though, a single student managed to work up the courage to give Ange a box of chocolates.

"Princess." A dark-skinned girl came to meet Ange before she could leave the room, practically blocking the doorway with her considerable physique. "I'd like you to have this." Taking a sizable box from behind her, she offered it to Ange. "In the spirit of the day, I thought now would be as good as ever to apologise to you." Wearing a genuine-enough expression, 

"A-apologise?" Taken back by the girl's approach, Ange was almost scared into admitting she had no idea what they were talking about. Composing herself, she set up the perfect loophole. "Ah, but you don't have anything to apologise for."

"Haha, Princess!" Clapping a hand on her shoulder, the girl forced the box into Ange's hand. "You don't need to be so forgiving, especially not after I called you _'Your Plainness'_."

Chandony. Ange's bluff had gone off without a hitch. "Well, I'll consider this an official apology." As far as she could imagine, Princess deserved more than a box of chocolates to apologise for that.

"Perfect." Chandony smirked, easing up. "Those are sweets from India, you know! Rather delicious, if you ask me." She opened the lid and took one for herself. "Why don't you try one, Princess?" Inside, Ange found a selection of sweets she'd never seen before. All impossible colours, there wasn't a single recognisable thing amongst them. Picking a lump of green for herself, she gingerly gave it a try.

Chandony, as well, popped hers into her mouth as Ange did, as if they were sharing a drink during some tense negotiations.

Ange was amazed by how delicious this sweet was. Intensely rich, and with a soft, fruity flavour. "Chandony! These are really amazing." She was tempted to down the rest then and there.

"Don't you think?" Chandony gave a pleased smirk, and lightly punched Ange on the shoulder. Taken aback by Chandony's unusual way of expressing herself, Ange wondered why the girl had ever transferred - or even got in - to Mayfaire with a personality like that. "Happy Valentine's, then!"

"Happy Valentine's, Chandony." Ange almost found it in herself to forgive her.

 

By the time she had made it to the lunch-hall, all of Chandony's sweets had dissapeared. To her surprise, they were awfully filling, despite being the size of a normal piece of confectionary. She barely had room for lunch, at this point. Reuniting with Dorothy, Beatrice and Chise at the usual spot, the table felt oddly empty without Charlotte there.

"I say, this 'Valentine's Day' is incredible!" Having her own pile of chocolates - mostly from the fencing squad - to enjoy, Chise seemed to have lucked out. "Saint Valentine must have been an incredible person to have such a wonderful day in their honor!"

"That's for sure." Dorothy's own haul was slightly smaller than Chise's, and she looked envious for it. Regardless, she was definitely enjoying herself more than usual.

"If I can leave behind a legacy this amazing, I would happily pass away this second." Chise laughed as she took another bite of a rapier-shaped chocolate, which looked expertly made; the blade being crafted from white chocolate, whilst the rest was a far darker shade.

Ange couldn't particularly say the same. Still wearing the 'Charlotte' wig, a small que had begun to form in front of her, consisting entirely of girls wanting to give the Princess of Albion their own special wishes. Gawking as yet more students joined the que, she was lucky she had a kettle of tea to wash them down with.

_"Princess, I made these for you!"_

_"I hope you like them, Princess!"_

_"How... How do they taste, Princess?"_

_"Man, you're so lucky, Princess!"_

Ange wasn't feeling too lucky, herself. The lunch-hour passed in a blur of sweets and snide remarks from her teammates. She managed to finish off the last of them before the end of lunch, but having eaten that much chocolate in an hour had taken it's toll. Chise and Dorothy had already left for their own lessons, snickering under their breath as Ange was tortured in broad daylight.

"Well, this is how it goes every year, for Princess." Beatrice had nothing to offer but an 'it can't be helped'.

Sitting back in her seat, one of Ange's hands unconsciously leapt to her stomach, aching to ease the sickly pain brewing inside it. "Every year?" Currently, Ange's only fear was that another student would show up. In fact, she knew exactly who she was waiting for. Now that Nikki could express her love for Ange whenever she wanted, she was sure to be planning something monumental.

"Without fail. Princess is very popular." Matter-of-factly, Beatrice poured Ange another cup of tea, whilst enjoying her own share of the Princess' haul. Offering it to her, Beatrice was surprised when her help was refused.

"No, Beato. I don't think I can even manage any tea." Her voice addled with a tiredness that only comes from overeating, Ange's impression of Charlotte began to fail. "I best get to my next lesson." Hauling herself up, she gave Beatrice a wave, but was rudely interrupted when a belch escaped her mouth.

"Princess!" Beatrice yelped, unable to comprehend a proper girl making such an uncouth sound. She'd only heard that kind of noise from Dorothy, once she had drunk herself under the table, and never expected someone who looked so much like a Princess could be capable of something so unladylike. "Do cover your mouth, at least!"

If there was actually any difference between Ange and Charlotte, Ange was sure that stomach capacity would be one of them. Wiping the uncomfortable expression from her face, she did her best imitation of how she normally walked, as her stomach begged her to waddle.

 

On her way to her next lesson - which she hoped wasn't cooking - Ange saw something that made her blood run cold. A gigantic chocolate cake was striding down the corridor towards her, with two legs sticking out from underneath it. At least three-tiers, and covered in glossy, rich icing, Ange was sure something like that had the potential to kill her.

Had she already gone insane?

Hadn't she been trained to withstand torture?

Ange dropped all her pretenses and immediately executed her escape plan.

Running as fast as her bulging stomach could handle, Ange made a beeline for Charlotte's room, praying she didn't see any more phantom cakes along the way. She had entered the school through the same wing as the dormitories, and it wasn't long before she had made her way to it. She thanked her past self for mapping out the quickest pathways to Charlotte's room in the case of some disaster.

"...Ange?!"

"Princess!"

As Ange burst into her room, she found she could hardly recognise the place. Dressed up extensively with plush heart cushions, red curtains and other trinkets of the holiday, Charlotte's room was definitely no longer the room of someone with a stomach ache. Ignoring the fact that it was now obvious she'd been completely duped, Ange took a few dubious steps inside, finding that Princess Charlotte was nowhere to be found, despite just yelping her name. It was rather dark in the room, now that the curtains were drawn, and the amount of red decorating the room set an ominous tension.

"P-Princess?" Ange called out again, confused and actually slightly off-put by the decorations. She'd only just learnt about Valentines, and being thrust all of a sudden into this setting left her with nothing but questions.

"Charlotte, you're too early..." A voice, but no face. "You'll ruin the surprise." Eventually, a head popped out from beside the bed, which had been fettered with rose petals and heart-shaped pillows. "But I guess it's too late, now, Charlotte..."

"What... What's going on, here?" Ange couldn't help but feel betrayed, especially considering the swelling pain in her gut. "I thought you had a stomach ache..."

"Sorry, Ange. I lied." A rare streak of honesty, Charlotte slowly stood up. "I wanted to surprise you with a Valentine's treat..." Already dressed in a new set of lingerie that she must have brought especially for this occasion - a soft cream, with little bright red hearts hanging off in strands - Princess Charlotte hopped playfully onto the bed. Even if her preparations had been cut short, she was happy that Ange had even shown up at all.

"I thought Valentine's was about giving chocolate?" Not that Ange wanted to protest. Seeing her girlfriend in a new outfit was always something she enjoyed.

"Well, that's on it's way." Charlotte made her way towards Ange, crawling across the bed, taking care not to scatter the rose petals too much. "But, I also said it was a festival of love." Coming up to meet Ange, she knelt on the bed and draped her arms around Ange, hugging her tight. "So, why don't we have our own little festival of love?" With a cheeky tone, she happily watched as Ange's cheeks went a similar shade to the red she had decorated her room with.

"Well, I can hardly argue with that, Princess." Climbing onto the duvet, Ange received a flurry of kisses from Charlotte, and she chuckled as she fought them off. Still slightly too bloated to work up the energy to kiss her herself, she felt a new wave of lethargy come over her as she boarded the intense softness that was Charlotte's bed. For a moment, she was tempted to go to sleep, instead.

"I thought you were the Princess, today?" Charlotte teased Ange as she joined her on the bed.

"I think I've had rather too much of that." Rubbing her stomach, Ange managed to laugh at her unfortunate situation.

"Oh, was it that bad? I imagine your appetite isn't as good as mine." Charlotte regretted tricking Ange into taking her role for a day, even if it was to give her time to prepare this. She had known exactly what she was getting her into, and continued anyway. "But I hope you've got enough room for my treat." Charlotte perked up as she remembered what was in store.

"Princess, I'd never refuse anything from you." Ange rested her head against Charlotte's, giving it her best shot at sincerity.

"Oh, Charlotte!" Charlotte grabbed Ange again, hugging her far tighter than she should have been able to.

With her tummy still full of chocolate, Ange had no choice but trying to break away from Charlotte's embrace, as much as she wanted to stay in it forever.

"Let's begin, then, shall we?" Charlotte's loving tone turned to a more eager one, and she brought Ange across the bed. "I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun." From under one of the cushions, Charlotte brought a pair of handcuffs, dangling it in front of Ange. "Now, here's step one."

 

"There we go. Is that comfortable enough?" Charlotte took in her handiwork. Having undressed in record time, Ange lay in her camisole, now handcuffed very securely to the balustrade at the head of the bed. Her breathing had already slowed to a weak, anticipatory pace.

Now half-naked, the bloat of Ange's stomach was rather obvious. "Perfect, Princess." She struggled, testing the strength of the handcuffs. It didn't give, and both of the girls' smiles grew slightly wider.

Running her hands across Ange's body, Charlotte almost leapt backwards when her hands reached Ange's gut. "Ch-Charlotte, just how much did you eat?" Carefully prodding Ange's stomach, she couldn't stop herself laughing when Ange squeaked whilst she inspected it.

"Well, I didn't want to turn anyone down." Unable to stop Charlotte rubbing her face against her heavy stomach, Ange's face went a shade of red Charlotte had never seen before. She just hoped it settled soon, so she could enjoy what was to come. "Everyone looked so happy to be--"

A knock came at the door. Ange froze up, preparing to undertake special manoeuvers to escape her imprisonment, or at least the eyes of their visitor. Charlotte, on the other hand, didn't move.

"Come in, Nikki!" She called. As she did, the door creaked open, and what lumbered through the door told Ange one thing.

She hadn't been hallucinating.

A terrifying ordeal, more than three tiers high, and as wide as her chest at the base, tipped unsteadily into the room. Dotted with strawberries, and glimmering in the low light, Nikki's cake was surely her finest creation. At the very least, it was probably her most dangerous creation.

Charlotte turned back to eye Ange, and her stomach in particular. "Happy Valentine's, Charlotte." She whispered into Ange's ear as Nikki released the cake at the foot of the bed, slipping a finger into Ange's especially tight navel for just long enough to earn a pitched moan.

Nikki gave a weary smile, collapsing face first onto the bed. "Special delivery, Charlotte." She mumbled.

Charlotte regarded Nikki with an apologetic look. "I guess she'll be joining us later." Turning back to Ange, she peppered her face with kisses. "Would you like to hear the rules?"

"P-Princess," Ange's heart sank into her stomach, if there was even any room for it in there. "I don't know if--If I can eat all of that..." Even if she was screaming on the inside, she couldn't deny the drool filling her mouth. For the first time in her life, Ange was sure she wouldn't need to feign vulnerability.

"I'll take that as a yes." Sitting herself down on Ange's thighs, she leaned onto her, holding Ange's shoulders down. "Inside my _present_ is the key for this lock." Fingering the lock to Ange's handcuffs, she reassured herself of it's sturdiness. "If you can find it, I'll let you tie me up and ravage me, instead." She enjoyed watching Ange take her first hot, heavy gasp as she spoke. "But until then, you'll have to let me do what I want." Charlotte licked her lips, and watched as the first bead of sweat burst out across Ange's forehead.

"And-- And if I can't?" Ange whimpered, imagining the entirety of the cake finding it's way into her already over-capacity tummy.

"Well, let's just say your Valentine's might end up lasting a week." Charlotte sat up, confident that the fear in Ange's eyes meant she understood. "As always, let's take it one slice at a time." Hopping off of Ange, Charlotte turned to the cake, which Nikki still lay next to, rubbing her sore arms.

Cut neatly into plenty of slices, Charlotte began with one from the top layer. Giggling as the centimetre-thick icing spread onto her fingers, she stole the first taste for herself. "Nikki, you really have outdone yourself, this time!" The sheer taste of the chocolate brought a blush of it's own to Charlotte's usually indomitable cheeks.

"Well, that's the power of love." Nikki looked as though she was aching to join in. That was, after her arms had recovered. "Two days of love."

Swinging eagerly around, and back to the pale-faced Ange, she delivered the first slice to her with a generous push. "I'm sure Ange will appreciate it, won't you?" As Ange crumpled under her embrace, Charlotte's other hand slipped down.

 

Hours later, Ange looked completely different. She was drenched in so much sweat that her camisole clung to her chest with a transparency that made it look as though it had been torn apart. Her body was shaking, and her now-plump cheeks shone a dangerously bright red. She was completely surrounded. From behind, Charlotte rubbed her engorged tummy and licked the icing that Ange refused to swallow from her cheeks and lips. Nikki, who was now fully invested in their festival, towered over the trembling girl, feeding slice after slice of cake into her mouth. Now that they had reached the final layer, every piece of cake was almost the size of Ange's head, and with every force-fed mouthful, a handful of crumbs tumbled out, scattering across her chest and nigh-on spherical stomach.

"You're such a messy eater, Ange." The girls chimed in as a slice's worth of icing rubbed off on Ange's lips. Not giving a second for Ange to reply, or even breath, they dived in to steal kisses from her, hungrily lapping up the chocolate covering her face.

"Ah..." Ange moaned as she was toyed with by her two girlfriends. Utterly unable to form a coherent sentence, even without the delicious sponge filling her mouth, Ange had been pushed to the brink one too many times. "I... Can't..." Finally giving up, Ange's body released the tension inside of it, her body going slack and collapsing into Charlotte's lap with a belch. The usually feather-light Ange felt a great deal heavier, now filled with cake, chocolate, and Charlotte's love. Her eyes looked glossed over and completely vacant.

As Ange fell into Charlotte's arms, the Princess finally got a proper taste of how heavy her stomach really was. Biting her lip as she greedily groped Ange's overindulged tummy, she desperately resisted the urge to moan about how large it had become. "Ange, you can't be done just yet!" Charlotte continued to nurse Ange's gut as she spoke, trying not to imagine the food nestled inside of it. "You haven't even found the key!" Running kisses up and down Ange's neck, which was already littered with love-bites, Charlotte wasn't ready to let go of the fight just yet.

"Ah, well, Charlotte. Looks like the fun really is over." From across the bed, Nikki uncovered what would be Ange's final treat with a dissapointed tone. "The key's in this slice." Returning to Ange, she put a hand on her tummy, testing the tension. She always knew exactly when Ange would reach her limit. And, even if the swollen fullness of Ange's tummy suggested otherwise, Nikki's hand still managed to sink into it a small ways, searching for any extra room inside the girls' gut. "Perhaps it's for the best. Ange's pretty stuffed already..."

"Ahhh...!" As Nikki poked Ange's stomach with a careful intensity, Ange moaned. "Please don't, Nikki!" She buckled forwards, her face screwing up as she supressed the ache inside her. "I'll... Ex-Explode if you keep doing that!" Despite the absurdity of such an image, the tone of Ange's voice could have tricked either of them.

"Don't worry, Ange, this'll be the last one." Charlotte still looked forward to pushing Ange to swallow another. "Aren't you lucky, Ange?" She teased, running her hand through Ange's sweat-drenched hair. As she forced the second-to-last slice down her throat, Charlotte nuzzled her nose into the nook of her collar, rubbing herself against the bulge running down her gullet. Her hands could practically feel Ange's belly expand at this point, as it's sheer size required her navel to almost entirely dissappear. As soon as the cake reached the pit of Ange's stomach, a burp rose up and burst from her mouth, shaking Ange's entire body.  

"Here we go, Ange..." Bending forwards, Nikki almost had to chase Ange across the bed before she could feed her masterpiece to her favourite girl. "Just one more, Okay? You can manage that, can't you?" Nikki lacked the merciless approach that Charlotte loved to take, more concerned with Ange's safety than her own satisfaction, but at the end of the day she was just as eager to watch Ange's mouth fill up over and over again.

Ange could only manage a hiccup that smelled uncannily of chocolate. Her camisole bounced as her gut lurched, and then returned to rest on the curve of her stomach, alongside Charlotte's loving embrace. Summoning a great deal of strength, more than she thought she was capable of, she opened her mouth to receive her final present.

"That's a good girl, now." Charlotte and Nikki hugged Ange as she exhibited more restraint than either girl had ever seen. Groaning, begging noises filled the room as she tried to work up the energy to swallow.  The slice sat in Ange's mouth for about a minute before she was ready. The whole time, Nikki and Charlotte rubbed her belly, singing their praises for her and egging her on.

Eventually, it slipped down in one slick motion, and the noise Ange made once it disappeared was one full of aching. For a tense second, Nikki backed off as she lost her confidence in Ange's capacity. Nothing came but a drawn-out sigh.

"Ange!" Immediately, both girls pounced on her, hugging her, kissing her and playing with her satisfied stomach. From behind her, Nikki brought the key, and slipped it into the lock restraining Ange. Now that her hands were no longer locked tight above her head, Ange lacked the strength to stay kneeling of her own volition.

"Well done, Charlotte." Charlotte whispered into Ange's ear again, and followed her down as she collapsed onto the bed.

Instantly, Ange fell asleep. Lying on her side, her hands idly nursed her more than bloated stomach, which shook and trembled unhealthily as she took careful breaths.

Unknowing, Charlotte began to set herself up. "Ange? Don't you want your prize?" She glanced down at Ange, who was now soaking the blanket with her sweat.

"Uuff..." Was all Ange could make out.

Cutting her losses, Charlotte sat the handcuffs back down on the bed, and nestled down next to her. She looked into Ange's closed eyes, her chest full of pride.

Nikki, ever the caretaker, took a few of the pillows from the head of the bed, setting them down around Ange. With loving hands, she rolled the bloated girl onto her back, gasping as she saw how swollen her tummy really was. After making sure she wouldn't throw up in her sleep, Nikki joined Ange on the bed. In the relative darkness of Charlotte's room, the three easily fell asleep, their hearts still racing from the festivities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read the whole thing, then... congratulations?  
> you didn't need to force yourself.

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't actually the special thing I was talking about at the end of my last fic, but it's still a pretty blessed ship, in my mind at least. Don't expect it to be as long or particularily good - it's just a smaller, self-indulgent project to keep my brain working whilst I work on a bigger project.
> 
> This fic will probably end up devolving into numerous short stories after I get the actual case out of the way; i've been wanting to write this one for a while. I think Nikki's story is super tragic. She really needs a lizard in shining armour.


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